From Our Stories, to Our Streets (OSOS)

Authors

• Jennifer LopezFollow

Document Type

Technical Report

Publication Date

Spring 4-2026

Division

Community and Regional Planning

Abstract

Youth traffic safety persists as a critical planning challenge and public health concern in New Mexico, where pedestrian fatality rates consistently rank among the highest in the United States (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NTSA, Governors Highway Safety Association, GHSA, 2023; Baca, 2025). Students (children), due to their daily interactions with roadways, whether when they walk, bike, ride transit, or drive/get driven to and from school, are among the most vulnerable groups within the transportation system (Ferenchak, N. Wesley, M., 2017. For many students in Albuquerque, the commute to or from school is one of the most dangerous parts of their day. Within Albuquerque Public Schools (APS), within the Vision Zero for Youth Initiative (VZ4Y), seeks to address these risks and the OSOS project’s focus is to inform the Vision Zero for Youth Initiatives’; 1) Walking School Bus (WSB), 2) expansion from K-8 to High School (HS), 3) HS Driver's Education, 4) Future VZ Curriculum, Staff Trainings, and 5) Cross-agency coordination. OSOS asks the following initial question, to assess the current landscape of youth traffic safety outcomes: 1) How do different stakeholders understand and approach youth traffic safety? 2) How are traffic safety programs and policies implemented within school environments? 3) How do youth and families experience transportation safety in their daily travel environments? 4) Where do gaps exist between youth's lived experiences and institutional approaches to traffic safety? 5) What opportunities exist to improve coordination, accountability, and youth engagement within traffic safety initiatives? 6) How are youth experiences and perspectives valued within transportation safety planning and policy discussions? This technical report summarizes key findings from "From Our Stories to Our Streets" (OSOS) youth-centered traffic safety research project conducted in collaboration with Albuquerque Public Schools (APS). The project builds on the APS Vision Zero for Youth Initiative (VY4Y), which employs Participatory Action Research PAR, documents students' daily pedestrian experiences and safety perceptions (Bock, 2022). The research assesses the current landscape of youth safety, identifies key stakeholders and their relationships with policies, safe systems, interjurisdictional coordination, implementation challenges, and equity, which relate to the APS Vision Zero for Youth (VZ4Y). The OSOS project examines how students, schools, community organizations, and transportation stakeholders perceive and experience youth traffic safety, identifies strengths, missing links, and opportunities to improve student traffic safety outcomes. OSOS uses a qualitative research framework, gathers stories from stakeholders who influence youth traffic safety outcomes, supported by a quantitative road safety analysis. Grounded in Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), more commonly referred to as Participatory Action Research (PAR), with stakeholder participants, uses1) Youth Engagement, 2) Interviews, 3) Focus Groups, and 4) Field Observations, to clarify how youth traffic safety is governed and Page | 9 implemented across schools, local municipalities, and communities. It synthesizes insights from students, school staff, community organizations, and transportation stakeholders to find patterns in perceptions and strategies for youth mobility and safety. To complement narratives, OSOS conducted qualitative Road Safety analysis, which uses Geographic Information Systems GIS, comprised of 1) Student Transportation Data, 2) Crosswalk Data: Inventory, Study Findings, and Crossing Guards Coverage Data, 3) High Fatality Injury Network HFIN Crash Data, and 4) Pedestrian Level of Stress PLTS Score Assessment. The OSOS project centers youth voices to better understand how traffic safety is experienced in everyday school travel. Findings reinforce that youth traffic safety is not solely an engineering challenge, but one shaped by social, demographic, and environmental conditions. Students’ experiences highlight how infrastructure, community context, and institutional responsiveness collectively influence safety outcomes. The Albuquerque Public Schools Vision Zero for Youth (VZ4Y) Initiative is well aligned with broader Vision Zero and Safe Systems approaches. This study names key opportunities to strengthen that alignment through improved coordination, communication, and data sharing across agencies. It also highlights the importance of institutionalizing youth-centered planning and incorporating trauma-informed perspectives into traffic safety strategies. To advance VZ4Y goals, this report recommends Albuquerque Public School APS, Vision Zero for Youth Initiative VZ4Y, as an Educational Institution strengthen and expand [institutionalize] core program areas; 1) The Walking School Bus (WSB) program serves as a critical “boots on the ground” intervention (Safe Routes Partnership, n.d.). 2) extending programming from K–8 to high school students, enhancing high school driver education with a focus on Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs), and developing future curriculum and staff training — informing Albuquerque of important recent legislature passed in regards to traffics laws and traffic safety. Additionally, stronger cross-agency collaboration between schools, transportation departments, and community partners is critical to improving implementation and long-term impact. By addressing these opportunities, APS and its partners can build a more coordinated, equitable, and effective approach to youth traffic safety—creating safer environments for all students as they travel to and from school.

Keywords

vision zero, safe routes to school, participatory action research, youth engagement, transportation alternatives programs, public school planning, modes of transportation, pedestrian level of traffic stress

Recommended Citation

Lopez, Jennifer. "From Our Stories, to Our Streets (OSOS)." (2026). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/arch_sp/12